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Smart Textiles Technologies and Wearable Sensors
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Smart Textiles Technologies and Wearable Sensors

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Wearables".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 24819

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Javad Foroughi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
Interests: energy conversion and storage; smart textiles and wearable technologies; sensors; artificial muscles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Smart textiles are considered the next frontline for electronics, and recent developments in advance technologies have led to the appearance of wearable electronics by fabricating, miniaturizing and embedding flexible smart materials into textiles. The combination of textiles and smart materials have led to the development of new capabilities in fabrics with the potential to change how athletes, patients, soldiers, first responders and everyday consumers interact with their clothes and other textile products.

This Special Issue is motivated by the observed growing interest in the design, fabrication and application of smart textiles in many fields. Textiles traditionally perform social and protective functions, but the addition of wearable electronics provides the means to produce a new generation of smart textiles. Over the years, many features have been explored toward the functionality of smart textiles. Energy harvesting/storage, force/pressure measurement, porosity or color variation and sensors (movement, temperature, chemicals) are some of these functionalities. To build smart textiles on an industrial scale, the methods of manufacturing and material selection are two important requirements. Such affordable smart textiles could fulfil diverse applications, ranging from work wear in specific industries to the almost infinite scenarios of personal use. However, performance, scalability and cost problems have restricted the deployment of currently available smart textiles. The approach of new energy materials and novel fabrication methods are essential to develop smart textiles.

Dr. Javad Foroughi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 3415 KiB  
Article
Smart Shirt for Measuring Trunk Orientation
by Abdella Ahmmed Simegnaw, Yetanawork Teyeme, Benny Malengier, Tamrat Tesfaye, Hundessa Daba, Kaledawit Esmelealem and Lieva Van Langenhove
Sensors 2022, 22(23), 9090; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22239090 - 23 Nov 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2298
Abstract
Improper cycling posture is linked to a variety of spinal musculoskeletal diseases, including structural malformation of the spine and back discomfort. This paper presents a novel smart shirt integrated tri-axial gyroscope and accelerometer that can detect postural variation in terms of spinal curvature [...] Read more.
Improper cycling posture is linked to a variety of spinal musculoskeletal diseases, including structural malformation of the spine and back discomfort. This paper presents a novel smart shirt integrated tri-axial gyroscope and accelerometer that can detect postural variation in terms of spinal curvature changes. To provide accurate feedback to the wearer and improve the wearer’s correct movement, the garment is able to recognize trunk body posture. The gyroscope/accelerometer was placed around the upper and mid trunk of the user to record tri-axial angular velocity data. The device can also be used to help determine the trunk bending angle and monitor body postures in order to improve optimal orientation and position. The garment enables continuous measurement in the field at high sample rates (50 Hz), and the sensor has a large measurement range (16 g, 2000°/s). As electronic components are non-washable, instead of encapsulating them, a detachable module was created. In this, magnets are embedded in the jersey, and allow the positioning and removal of the sensor. The test results show that the average trunk-bending angle was 21.5°, and 99 percent of the observed angle fell within the standard (ranging from 8° to 35°). The findings demonstrate the feasibility of employing the smart shirt sensor to estimate trunk motions in the field on a regular basis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Textiles Technologies and Wearable Sensors)
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17 pages, 6673 KiB  
Article
A Mass-Producible Washable Smart Garment with Embedded Textile EMG Electrodes for Control of Myoelectric Prostheses: A Pilot Study
by Milad Alizadeh-Meghrazi, Gurjant Sidhu, Saransh Jain, Michael Stone, Ladan Eskandarian, Amirali Toossi and Milos R. Popovic
Sensors 2022, 22(2), 666; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22020666 - 15 Jan 2022
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5264
Abstract
Electromyography (EMG) is the resulting electrical signal from muscle activity, commonly used as a proxy for users’ intent in voluntary control of prosthetic devices. EMG signals are recorded with gold standard Ag/AgCl gel electrodes, though there are limitations in continuous use applications, with [...] Read more.
Electromyography (EMG) is the resulting electrical signal from muscle activity, commonly used as a proxy for users’ intent in voluntary control of prosthetic devices. EMG signals are recorded with gold standard Ag/AgCl gel electrodes, though there are limitations in continuous use applications, with potential skin irritations and discomfort. Alternative dry solid metallic electrodes also face long-term usability and comfort challenges due to their inflexible and non-breathable structures. This is critical when the anatomy of the targeted body region is variable (e.g., residual limbs of individuals with amputation), and conformal contact is essential. In this study, textile electrodes were developed, and their performance in recording EMG signals was compared to gel electrodes. Additionally, to assess the reusability and robustness of the textile electrodes, the effect of 30 consumer washes was investigated. Comparisons were made between the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), with no statistically significant difference, and with the power spectral density (PSD), showing a high correlation. Subsequently, a fully textile sleeve was fabricated covering the forearm, with 14 textile electrodes. For three individuals, an artificial neural network model was trained, capturing the EMG of 7 distinct finger movements. The personalized models were then used to successfully control a myoelectric prosthetic hand. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Textiles Technologies and Wearable Sensors)
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14 pages, 4476 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Sleeve Pattern and Fit on E-Textile Electromyography (EMG) Electrode Performance in Smart Clothing Design
by Gozde Goncu-Berk and Bilge Guvenc Tuna
Sensors 2021, 21(16), 5621; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21165621 - 20 Aug 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5490
Abstract
When e-textile EMG electrodes are integrated into clothing, the fit of the clothing on the body, and therefore its pattern and cut become important factors affecting the EMG signal quality in relation to the seamless contact between the skin and the e-textile electrode. [...] Read more.
When e-textile EMG electrodes are integrated into clothing, the fit of the clothing on the body, and therefore its pattern and cut become important factors affecting the EMG signal quality in relation to the seamless contact between the skin and the e-textile electrode. The research so far on these effects was conducted on commercially available clothing or in tubular sleeve forms for arms. There is no study that investigated different clothing pattern and fit conditions and their effect on e-textile EMG electrode performance. This study investigates the effect of clothing pattern and fit in EMG applications using e-textile electrodes integrated onto the sleeves of custom drafted t-shirts in set-in and raglan sleeve pattern variations. E-textile electrode resistance, signal-to-noise ratio (SNRdB), power spectral density and electrode–skin impedance are measured and evaluated in set-in sleeve and raglan sleeve conditions with participants during a standardized arm movement protocol in comparison to the conventional hydrogel Ag/AgCl electrodes. The raglan sleeve pattern, widely used in athletic wear to provide extra ease for the movement of the shoulder joint, showed superior performance and therefore indicated the pattern and cut of a garment could have significant effect on EMG signal quality in designing smart clothing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Textiles Technologies and Wearable Sensors)
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Review

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28 pages, 10781 KiB  
Review
Metallisation of Textiles and Protection of Conductive Layers: An Overview of Application Techniques
by Alenka Ojstršek, Olivija Plohl, Selestina Gorgieva, Manja Kurečič, Urška Jančič, Silvo Hribernik and Darinka Fakin
Sensors 2021, 21(10), 3508; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21103508 - 18 May 2021
Cited by 50 | Viewed by 7584
Abstract
The rapid growth in wearable technology has recently stimulated the development of conductive textiles for broad application purposes, i.e., wearable electronics, heat generators, sensors, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, optoelectronic and photonics. Textile material, which was always considered just as the interface between the [...] Read more.
The rapid growth in wearable technology has recently stimulated the development of conductive textiles for broad application purposes, i.e., wearable electronics, heat generators, sensors, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, optoelectronic and photonics. Textile material, which was always considered just as the interface between the wearer and the environment, now plays a more active role in different sectors, such as sport, healthcare, security, entertainment, military, and technical sectors, etc. This expansion in applied development of e-textiles is governed by a vast amount of research work conducted by increasingly interdisciplinary teams and presented systematic review highlights and assesses, in a comprehensive manner, recent research in the field of conductive textiles and their potential application for wearable electronics (so called e-textiles), as well as development of advanced application techniques to obtain conductivity, with emphasis on metal-containing coatings. Furthermore, an overview of protective compounds was provided, which are suitable for the protection of metallized textile surfaces against corrosion, mechanical forces, abrasion, and other external factors, influencing negatively on the adhesion and durability of the conductive layers during textiles’ lifetime (wear and care). The challenges, drawbacks and further opportunities in these fields are also discussed critically. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Textiles Technologies and Wearable Sensors)
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Other

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9 pages, 21982 KiB  
Opinion
Advances in Wearable Sensors: Signalling the Provenance of Garments Using Radio Frequency Watermarks
by Javad Foroughi, Farzad Safaei, Raad Raad and Teodor Mitew
Sensors 2020, 20(22), 6661; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20226661 - 20 Nov 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2633
Abstract
There is a significant nascent market for ethically produced products with enormous commercial potential around the world. A reliable method to signal the provenance of products is therefore critical for industry, given that competition based on price is not a viable strategy. The [...] Read more.
There is a significant nascent market for ethically produced products with enormous commercial potential around the world. A reliable method to signal the provenance of products is therefore critical for industry, given that competition based on price is not a viable strategy. The ability to trace and signal ethical treatment of animals is also of significant value to textiles manufactures. The efficacy of such a method can be measured with respect to the cost of implementation, scalability, and the difficulty of counterfeiting. The key to traceability is to win the trust of the consumer about the veracity of this information. Wearable sensors make it possible to monitor and improve the management of traceability and/or provenance. In this paper, we introduce a method for signalling the provenance of garments using radio frequency watermarks. The proposed model consists of two levels of authentication that are easy to use by legitimate vendors, but extremely difficult to imitate or hack, because the watermark is built-in and based on the radiation signature of electroactive materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Textiles Technologies and Wearable Sensors)
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